1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a socket for connecting an IC (integrated Circuit) package and a printed circuit board, and more particularly, to a socket having contacts with lower configuration.
2. Description of the Related Art
To electrically connect to a printed circuit board, an IC (integrated Circuit) package usually need a socket to electrically connecting the IC package to the printed circuit board, for transferring signals between the IC package and the printed circuit board. U.S. Pat. No. 6,955,572 discloses a related socket, which has an insulative housing and a plurality of contacts received in the insulative housing. The contact has a main body, an elastic contacting arm bent from a lateral side of the main body and a linking portion aslant extending upwardly from the main body for connecting with contact trips, a retaining portion extending downwardly from the main body and a soldering portion extending downwardly from the retaining portion. The elastic contacting arm is formed with a contacting portion for contacting with the IC package at a free end thereof. The retaining portion is formed with a plurality of barbs interfering with inner walls of a contact passageway defined on the insulative housing to retain the contact.
Lately developing trend of the IC package and the socket is to be miniaturized and low structured, so the contact is required not only to have enough elasticity but also to have a lower configuration. The contact disclosed in said U.S. Pat. No. 6,955,572 has the elastic contacting arm, the main body, the retaining portion and the soldering portion in turn along a height direction of thereof, that causes the contact has a large total height. Furthermore, the barbs are disposed on two opposite sides of the main body, so the retaining forces are located in one beeline, the contact may rock in the contact passageway when be pressed by the IC package, and that will influent the connection between the IC package and the contact.
Hence, it is required to improve the disadvantages of the above socket.